Solomon's Orbit

In the early 1960s the world’s leading astronomers woke to a baffling sight: tiny, vintage automobiles tracing silent paths across the night sky. From Moscow to Pasadena, officials scrambled to explain the square‑shaped “meteors” that seemed to mock the space race, while military radar pinged objects that rose from the desert and vanished into the stratosphere. The incident, later dubbed Solomon’s Orbit, sparked frantic debates over stray space junk, secret projects, and even accusations of capitalist sabotage.

At the heart of the mystery sits Solomon, a quirky junk‑yard proprietor on the outskirts of Fullerton, California. Surrounded by rows of rusted Fords, Chevys, and long‑forgotten sedans, he spends his days polishing hubcaps and reminiscing about a bygone era of steel. When one of the airborne cars appears to trace a faint arc above his “Classics,” the line between joke and reality blurs, drawing scientists, soldiers, and curious reporters to his humble yard. Listeners will follow the early scramble to understand a phenomenon that turns an ordinary scrap heap into the unlikely epicenter of an international mystery.